1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to coupling of engines to unrelated automobiles and more particularly to a coupler and adapter for mounting an automobile engine to a vehicle in which a rear-mounted engine was originally installed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is frequently desirable to replace an originally installed automobile engine with an automobile engine manufactured by an unrelated company. Reasons for replacing an automobile engine with an engine manufactured by others include enhancement of motive power and compliance with increasingly stringent emission control regulations.
Various approaches have been utilized to connect an internal combustion engine to an unrelated vehicle. Such approaches include insertion of an engine and a related transmission into a vehicle with the connection between the unrelated parts to be made at or near the drive shaft and connection of a flywheel associated with the engine to a flywheel associated with a transmission.
For many years models of VOLKSWAGEN.sup.1 automobiles were sold within the United States which were powered by horizontally-opposed air-cooled four-cylinder engines. The engines have been characterized as possessing comparatively low horse power ratings, relatively short engine life and relatively high pollution emissions. FNT Various manufacturers of automobile engines or parts are identified herein by capitalizing the name and/or mark associated with such manufacturers.
When emission controls were instituted, the United States Government restricted sale and import of VOLKSWAGEN automobiles containing air-cooled engines into the United States. At the present time there are a number of VOLKSWAGEN automobiles within the United States containing such air-cooled engines. There is a relatively high cost to install new VOLKSWAGEN engines or rebuild the existing engines. While it is desirable to replace the VOLKSWAGEN engines, the limited space available in the VOLKSWAGEN engine compartment and the necessity of connection to a transaxle has prohibited successful development of a suitable replacement. (It is noted that transaxle is a combination of the terms transmission and axle referring to the combination of the transmission with rear axle members.)
A number of patents are representative of the prior art of features permitting adaptation of different engine components to engines and of connecting aligned shafts:
Brown U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,593 describes a connector plate disposed between a powered flywheel related to an engine and a transmission flywheel related to a transmission assembly. The Brown invention is useful in connecting a PERKINS 4-154 diesel engine to a FORD MUSTANG transmission, the engine and the transmission each having a flywheel, the flywheels being of similar size, the original and replacement engines being constructed in contemplation of insertion in a front-mounted engine with rear wheel drive and then-conventional drive train. The Brown disclosure, while useful for the type of application disclosed, is not adaptable for use in installing a replacement engine in a vehicle having a rear-mounted engine as disclosed in the present invention. A flywheel-to-flywheel connection as disclosed in Brown would not be practicable in the limited space available in VOLKSWAGEN BEETLES and like applications. Brown further does not disclose a means of connecting an engine to an unrelated transaxle without use of a flywheel related to the engine.
Wiseman U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,042 describes a coupling means for a screw conveyor, the said coupling means being used to couple adjoining flights of a screw conveyor. The Wiseman coupling means includes a spool flange placed between the adjoining flights and flanged cylindrical elements placed on each of the adjoining flights for connection with the spool flange. The Wiseman concept, although useful for screw conveyors, is not applicable for connection of an engine to a flywheel as described in the present invention. The Wiseman disclosure, like others identified, has application, with limitations, to aligned shafts.
Stich U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,547 describes a method and apparatus for installing a replacement automatic transmission in place of an original automatic transmission in a four-wheel drive vehicle. The adapter kit described in this invention enables the removal of an original General Motors automobile transmission and the replacement with another type and style General Motors transmission.
Shook U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,029 describes an adapter which enables a transmission overdrive kit to be installed on a four-wheel drive vehicle. Such an adapter is merely an attachment to the existing transmission and drive-train of the four-wheel drive vehicle which enables another gear to be placed in the path for power to be transferred from the engine to the wheels of the vehicle, thus enabling it to travel at higher speeds on the highway.
Baratti U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,065 discloses a replacement starting motor assembly for automobiles.
Bradley U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,266 discloses a support housing for adapting automobile starter motors to aircraft engines.
Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,938 discloses a deflector plate and bell housing for installation on vehicles having different starter motor positions.
Rasset U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,478 discloses a modular engine construction permitting adaptation to different types of engine configurations.
Buckley et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,012 discloses a rotational energy absorbing coupling for shaft to shaft and shaft to crank applications using a plurality of shear pins.
Hargrove U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,092 discloses a friction shaft coupling assembly for coupling rotors of an elastic fluid turbine.
Dossier U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,333 discloses an elastic coupling adapted to first and second bodies moveable in rotation around substantially aligned axes.
Corona U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,802 describes an electric motor having a removable shaft assembly.
Gredell U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,113 discloses a shear pin coupling for aligned shafts for use on a propeller shaft of a marine engine, the coupling including flanged cylindrical elements placed over each of the aligned shafts and bolted together at the flanges.
This prior art does not solve the problem of adapting automobile engines to be mounted in automobiles containing rear-mounted engines.